Shreveport Dining

Shreveport gets a bad, almost unfair rap regarding dining and nightlife.  The city has a bunch of good dining spots, but they aren't in obvious locations or centralized within a few blocks.  In an interest to show you where some good spots are for your trip, here's a list of recommendations for local fare.

Casual dining:

• Superior Grill (6123 Line Ave.) - The busiest Mexican restaurant in Shreveport.  It is almost always crowded, but there is no more popular restaurant in Shreveport.  Beware the margaritas as they are surprisingly strong.  
• Monjuni's (1315 Louisiana & 7601 Youree Drive) - Tasty Italian food featuring a unique sweet red sauce.  
• Country Tavern (823 Brook Hollow Drive) - A Texas barbecue joint that hopped the border, Country Tavern features good Texas BBQ, but the steaks are awesome. 
  
• Bistro Byronz (6401 Line Ave.) - Modeled on a traditional a French brasserie.  Offers good French food for fair prices.  
• The Cub (3002 Girard St.) - A beloved local oddity, The Cub is a smokey dive bar with a steak and seafood restaurant attached.  The restaurant is really small and short on atmosphere, but the food makes up for it.  Great steaks and potatoes au gratin.  Reservations are required (318-861-6517) and you have to leave your info on a voicemail.  If there's a conflict, they call you. NOTE: Everyone in your party must be over 21, even just to eat there.
  
• Oyster Bar (855 Pierremont Rd., but it faces Line Ave.) - Oddly, this is a Mexican restaurant, although it offers raw oysters at the bar.  
• Strawn's (125 King's Hwy.) - A tasty traditional diner and Shreveport institution.  Recommended for breakfast or lunch.  Located across the street from Centenary College.
  
• Wine Country (4801 Line Ave., but it's in Pierremont Mall) - An excellent restaurant attached to a wine store.  The restaurant and bar are brand new and worth the search for the tucked away location.
• Papa & Co. (545 East Washington) - The biggest and best hamburgers in town.
• Herby K's (1833 Pierre Ave.) - Do not attempt without a GPS or a native guide.  This is another Shreveport institution that has never changed locations, even though it is situated in an old, almost abandoned commercial district.  The signature dish is the Shrimp Buster, flattened fried shrimp on toasted French bread.  Herby K's is small and almost hidden, but uniquely Shreveport.
• The Chains - Shreveport has the usual glut of national chain restaurants, too.  They are fairly concentrated along Youree Drive between 70th Street and Bert Kouns.

Fine dining:

• Superior's Steakhouse (855 Pierremont Road, but it's in a shopping center at the corner of Line and Pierremont) - The place to be and be seen in Shreveport.  It's a typical steakhouse with a big, nice bar including a back room with a roaring fire and leather couches.  I don't think they have the best steak in town, but they definitely have the steakhouse attitude.
• Bistro 6301 (6301 Line Ave.) - Maybe the best overall dining experience in Shreveport. 
• Giuseppe's (4800 Line Ave.) - Italian, served in a beautiful new restaurant.  It also features a small, quiet, and well stocked bar.
• Chianti's (6535 Line Ave.) - Another Italian restaurant with a piano bar and good food.
• The Village Grille (1313 Louisiana Ave.) - Where to go if someone else is paying.  There are no menus and the waiters tell you what they serve.  It's also very, very dark.  The food is great and their small bar makes a delicious after dinner drink called a "Snowbear," but be prepared for a big bill.
• Lucky Palace (750 Diamond Jack's Blvd. in Bossier City, located in the Bossier Inn & Suites hotel) - This Chinese restaurant is in a goofy location, but don't let that fool you.  The food is fantastic and they have an extensive wine list.  You're going to think I've led you wrong until the food arrives.

That should be enough.  You'll note that downtown dining is almost nonexistent.  The casinos and the Hilton have restaurants in the hotels.  Those restaurants are good, but they're about all that downtown offers for dining.  I'll do nightlife in a separate post this week.

Quinton

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